Thankfully, Rangers fans didn't throw the white towels they were given onto the ice Thursday night like Flyers faithful chucked wristbands on Monday, though they can't be blamed for at least contemplating it.

Because the Rangers were on the receiving end of a merciless beatdown on their home ice in a 5-0 Game 4 loss to the Penguins, with Henrik Lundqvist getting yanked by Alain Vigneault 6:04 into the second period after allowing four goals on 18 shots. The Rangers trail the first-round series 3-1 heading into Saturday's Game 5 in Pittsburgh and have now lost five straight home playoff games.

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"I need to be better, simple as that," said Lundqvist, who was visibly frustrated as he was pulled and glum on the bench for the remainder of the match.

In his 115th career postseason game, Lundqvist was benched for the fifth time. The last time it happened was Game 5 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final in Montreal when the Rangers were down 4-1 in the second period. He was also benched in Game 6 of the first round in Philadelphia that year, and he got the hook in Games 5 and 6 of the Rangers' 2009 first-round loss to Washington, when the Rangers blew a 3-1 series lead.

"If you give up four goals on 18 shots, you have to expect a change might be happening," Lundqvist said. "Got some time to think about what I was doing wrong. Was there a couple of tough plays? Yes, but I did not play the way I want to play."

It was bad for Lundqvist from the get-go as he gave up a poor rebound off a 54-foot Ben Lovejoy slapper, allowing Eric Fehr to crash the net and punch in the first goal 1:09 into the game.

Evgeni Malkin lets out a scream after his goal. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

But this was not just on Lundqvist, not even close. The Rangers maddeningly continue to struggle scoring in home playoff contests. They have just one goal in their last 13 playoff periods at the Garden: Rick Nash's shorthanded goal on Tuesday. They've been shut out in three of their last four home playoff games.

Pittsburgh's 21-year-old rookie goalie Matt Murray made 31 saves for his first playoff shutout as the Rangers generated more chances than in Game 3 but blew the quality scoring chances they had.

"This is definitely a team loss," Alain Vigneault said when asked about Lundqvist. "I'm not going to single out one individual. As a whole group we had a hard time and the results went accordingly."

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Evgeni Malkin, who missed Game 1 with an injury, tortured the Rangers with two power-play goals and two assists. Sidney Crosby, one of eight Penguins to earn at least one point, notched assists on two man-advantages. The Penguins were 3-for-6 on the power play Thursday and have scored on seven of their 19 power plays in the series; the Rangers looking completely inept on the penalty kill.

Mats Zuccarello and the Rangers appear out of ideas vs. the Penguins. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Conor Sheary's breakaway goal at 16:12 of the first off a Kevin Klein turnover made it 3-0. Malkin's second goal at 3:28 of the third sent most of the Garden fans toward the exits.

Last season, Ryan McDonagh was furious at an "embarrassing" performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final against Tampa Bay, the home game which began their five-game home playoff losing streak.

He called out teammates for "stupid, selfish penalties" which cost them the game. That loss tied the series at 1-1 before the Rangers ultimately lost in seven.

This similar effort, littered with untimely penalties and puck mismanagement, put them on the brink of elimination.

The Rangers have been here before, coming back from 3-1 series deficits in each of the past two years in the second round, including in 2014 against the Penguins. These Penguins, though, are an entirely different beast and have completely stifled their counterpart over the last two games.

"At this point, there is no reason or point to try and describe what happened," the captain said. "We weren't ourselves out there. We weren't playing up to our potential and the way that's necessary for us to have a chance to win a game."